Trichomonas vaginalis causes vaginitis in women and non-gonococcal non-chlamydial urethritis in men. An estimated 5 million new cases of trichomonosis occur each year in the US, the majority in women. This sexually transmitted infection (STI) is associated with adverse outcomes in pregnancy. In addition, this STI may be associated with cervical cancer. Significantly, African Americans have the highest rates of trichomonosis than other American communities, and this STI contributes to the spread of HIV among women and minorities in the US. Epidemiologic studies suggest that Trichomonas vaginalis is associated with a 2- to 4-fold increased risk of HIV transmission, contributing to health disparities, and control of trichomonosis may be one of the most effective means of reducing HIV transmission risk worldwide.
Despite the impact of this STI to public health, fuindamental aspects of Trichomonas and parasite:cell biology and immunology remain unknown. An understanding of the urogenital antibody (Ab) response to T. vaginalis is incomplete in part because trichomonads secrete numerous cysteine proteinases into the vagina during infection, which degrade all Abs, leading to false or incomplete mucosal Ab results. The present invention overcomes previous shortcomings in the art by providing methods and compositions for detecting antibodies to Trichomonas vaginalis antigens in the saliva of both men and women as a diagnostic assay.